I also did this with no salt. The espom salts are what you use to help you float and if I were an educated guesser, I would say it helps you retain water. (Salt absorbs water, which is why they sell it during winter time). If you had no salt, like I did, you would just sink, like I did. The salt (jeez how many times am I gonna say that) helps deprive weightlessness since it makes you float.

I am much more amped up today though. I went to class and felt like I knew every answer. Whether it was because it was easy or not isn't clear. But I bought some espom salt and am going to do it again tonight. I feel better after doing that and am going to test it to see if it was because of the deprivation.

I rather doubt that epsom salts could increase the specific gravity of a partially saturated solution enough to matter much. Example of fresh water versus salt sea water is fresh = 62.4 pounds per cubic foot while salt water is at 64.0 pounds per cubic foot. That difference matters with a large ship but not much difference for the human body. A 180 pound person or about 84 kilograms will displace an equivalent 84 liters of water if the body is fully submerged.

The buoyancy of a human is somewhat influenced by his/her body mass index. Fat is less dense than muscle so chubby people tend to float more freely than more muscular ones.

Dang, I need to try this whole "sensory deprivation tank" experiment in my bathtub. There's no way I would exit that experiment worse than when I started.... Especially after the last couple weeks I've had. I wouldn't even mind a couple of hallucinations. In fact, I welcome them! Ill let you all know if things get all crazy. ...

Dang, I need to try this whole "sensory deprivation tank" experiment in my bathtub. There's no way I would exit that experiment worse than when I started.... Especially after the last couple weeks I've had. I wouldn't even mind a couple of hallucinations. In fact, I welcome them! Ill let you all know if things get all crazy. ...

Can't say isolating myself with limited sensory input is something I would like to do as I'm sure I'll just get bored. If boredom would result with limited isolation, I wonder what sort of mental state I'd be in with near total sensory deprivation.

I also heard that near total sensory deprivation might induce hallucinations after a while, but I don't know if this is true.

They are mild. It's not like you will see a person watching you or something.

I rather doubt that epsom salts could increase the specific gravity of a partially saturated solution enough to matter much. Example of fresh water versus salt sea water is fresh = 62.4 pounds per cubic foot while salt water is at 64.0 pounds per cubic foot. That difference matters with a large ship but not much difference for the human body. A 180 pound person or about 84 kilograms will displace an equivalent 84 liters of water if the body is fully submerged.

The buoyancy of a human is somewhat influenced by his/her body mass index. Fat is less dense than muscle so chubby people tend to float more freely than more muscular ones.

Their lungs would have to be full and they'd have to have a BMI of 0. Also women with large breasts have a built in life jacket. And before people jump on me that's what my wife said. And she has a fine built in life jacket.

Logged

If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.“Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt.” ― Richard P. Feynman'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry PratchettRemember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

I just came out again and this time I shot for 2 hours instead of 1. I didn't have the same experience or I may have just been impatient. So I got out early. However, time went by WAY slower. I ended up 3 minutes shy of an hour and thinking I was close to 2.

Edit: I seemed to have the same calm demeanor as the night before. Which I observed when talking with friends.

I rather doubt that epsom salts could increase the specific gravity of a partially saturated solution enough to matter much. Example of fresh water versus salt sea water is fresh = 62.4 pounds per cubic foot while salt water is at 64.0 pounds per cubic foot. That difference matters with a large ship but not much difference for the human body. A 180 pound person or about 84 kilograms will displace an equivalent 84 liters of water if the body is fully submerged.

The buoyancy of a human is somewhat influenced by his/her body mass index. Fat is less dense than muscle so chubby people tend to float more freely than more muscular ones.

The density of the Dead Sea is 1.25kg/l as opposed to 1.05 for "normal" sea water and people float "higher" in that. Epsom sslt has a greater density than sodium chloride, 2.66 g/cm^2 as opposed to 2.16, so a similar concentration would surely offer greater buoyamcy?

Advice: don't drink the water or you might get some really serious sensations!

High-Tech Floatation Epsom Salt Treatments"In the latest models of tanks, we use a saturated solution of Epsom salts (MgSO4+7H2O) at a solution density of 1.30 grams per cubic centimeter. It was discovered that this density of solution allows one to float supine and have the whole body at or near the surface of the liquid. One's hands float, one's arms, legs, and feet float and, most important, one's head floats. We have found that even the thinnest person with the least amount of fat floats in this way in the tank. With these simplifications of the technique it has turned out that we have devised a method of attaining the deepest rest that we have ever experienced." (Dr. John C. Lilly)